FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2003
Contact: Phyllis Shoemaker, Alaska
Coordinator, National Ocean Sciences Bowl, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, 907-224-4312.

Juneau and Chugiak take top honors in Ocean Sciences
Bowl

Tempest overcomes mad mad mollusks

SEWARD, Alaska—High
school students from Juneau took first and second place overall in the
sixth annual Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl. The competition
to see who knows the most about Alaska's marine environment was held February
21–23 in Seward.

In all, 14 teams represented 12 schools from across
the state in competition that featured a rapid-fire question and answer
ocean knowledge quiz along with presentation of research projects. "Team
Tempest" from Juneau-Douglas High School took first place overall
in this combined competition. They were followed by Juneau's "Team
Avalanche." Chugiak High School's "Team Mad Mad Mad Mollusks"
took third place overall.

As the overall first place winner, Team Tempest will
represent Alaska in the U.S. National Ocean Sciences Bowl Finals, April
25–28 in La Jolla, California. The team's students also received
one-year tuition waivers to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

In the individual competitions, Kodiak High School's
team, "Perspicacious Pinnipeds," took first place in the knowledge
quiz. Chugiak came in second in the quiz, while Juneau's team "Avalanche"
finished third. First place Kodiak team members received one-year tuition
waivers from the University of Alaska Southeast.

The three-day event also featured a juried art show.
Heather Harris of Juneau won "Best of Show" with her textile/mixed
media wearable art titled "Fishing for the Perfect Man." Harris'
entry was a handmade dress laden with fishing lures and beer bottle caps.

The Alaska regional competition was sponsored by the
University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences,
with additional support from the Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Additional
assistance comes from the University of Alaska President's Special Projects
Fund, the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center, The University
of Alaska Marine Advisory Program, Alaska SeaLife Center, Marine Conservation
Alliance, Oceana, KAKM-TV, Kenai Fjord Tours, Glosten, Inc., Totem Ocean
Trailer Express, and Icicle Seafoods Seward Fisheries, among others.

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is sponsored by the
Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) in partnership
with the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA).